


Love and Loss in a Savage Land

by Beware_The_Tristero



Category: Marvel, Marvel Adventures (Comics), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alpha Bucky Barnes, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Dinosaurs, Explicit Sex, Exploring, Feral Alphas, Inspired by Tarzan (not the Disney Version!), Justin Hammer is a dick, M/M, Mating Bites, Mating Bond, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Mating Rituals, Minor Character(s), Minor Injuries, Minor Violence, Omega Tony Stark, Please read the summary!, Savage Land Bucky, The Savage Lands, The Tags are NOT for Show!, Threats of Rape/Non-Con, Tony is Eighteen, Triggers, barbarians - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-28
Updated: 2017-08-13
Packaged: 2018-07-27 09:07:11
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 9,754
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7612168
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Beware_The_Tristero/pseuds/Beware_The_Tristero
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Explicit: A/B/O Dynamics. Hunting/Mating/Primal Sex (and all that implies!)</p><p>Pairing: Savage Lands!Bucky/Eighteen Year Old Tony (this is the age of consent in my Country <b>but, if this is too young for you then please don’t read on as the sexual scenes are graphic!</b>)</p><p>Summary: Captain America Movie based AU which starts from the “train” but leads onto modern day due to Bucky’s super-solider serum/the Savage Land’s unique properties: Bucky falls off the train BUT it just so happened to be travelling through the Savage Lands (see Notes for more details if you don’t follow the Comics!). </p><p>Landing in the mutated tundra, Bucky is <i>rescued</i> by Mr Sinister; he’s lost his memories, gained a new, metal-based mutated arm and was altered into a savage, supreme-alpha to do the mad geneticist’s bidding. However, after being freed by Ka-Zar and joining his rebellion, Bucky lives an exciting existence and commits himself to helping his fellow Savage Landers keep the peace and remove any and all who seek to plunder their home for profit. </p><p>It really <i>is</i> a shame that no one told wealthy industrialist Howard Stark about all of this...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Stowaway

**Author's Note:**

> The Savage Lands: so, this is a _real_ interesting place! It’s nestled within an _undiscovered_ part of Antarctica (so... lots of cold, just like the movie) up until the 1930s (when Adolf Hitler claims it as part of his territory... pretty sure that this only happens in the comics) and is a tropical jungle (thanks to a plethora of volcanoes and some extraterrestrial intervention) full of dinosaurs, humans, mutates and a radioactive fog that gives them all supernatural abilities. A fun setting, right? Am I right? I **am** right! Sounds like the kind of place Howard would like to get his greedy little hands on, yes? Yes... XD
> 
> Also, I’m setting this in the late 1990’s... just because my first experience with the Savage Lands came from the brilliant X-Men Cartoon show from that era.
> 
>  
> 
> **Disclaimer: I do not own or claim to own any of the characters/settings featured in this non-profit piece of fanfiction. I am merely using these Marvel characters/settings for my entertainment (and hopefully the entertainment of others).**

Sighing, his adolescent mind caught between worrying over his drunken mother’s _approval_ of the photographer hounding her around the ship, his father’s ever present indifference and the waves, Tony Stark found himself leaning against the safety railing of the massive ship’s deck, his golden eyes staring listlessly into the torrid sea.

“Master Anthony? Master Anthony _please_ do come back inside” his butler and all-time favourite person Edwin Jarvis called from between a metal door haphazardly wedged open to allow his grim, green around the gills countenance to peer out. “You’ll catch your death out here, sir... where in the world is your parka? Why aren’t you wearing a hat or scarf at least? Oh! Here, come in...” he beckoned, his face paling further as the ship lurched against another particularly large wave. 

Chuckling at his friend and mentor’s discomfort, the young omega ambled across the deck as though he were born to traverse the slickened boards, his foot-falls sure and steady even as further icy-waves slammed themselves against the hull.

“Heh... don’t sweat it J’, I’m good” he called over the crashing and howling of the whipping winds, his nimble form easily sidling into the warm, well lit corridor with a grin and a shudder. “It’s sure different from Malibu, huh?” he asked with a chuckle before he was swaddled with a thick, fluffy towel and a set of determined, British hands trying to literally rub the cold right off of him. 

“Sir, if I may, it is really bad enough that you stole-away on this, ahh, _venture_ of your father’s...” he said, his tone ever lacquered with diplomacy as he guided his young charge down the rocking passage in search of the small _living_ room Howard had insisted upon installing for his _esteemed_ guests and business-partners. “...without making yourself ill; goodness knows what I’ll do if this _tropical paradise_ he claims to be out here proves to be nothing more than a faulty satellite image and frozen tundra” he sighed gravely, his face (still handsome despite his age) pulling into a worried, fatherly frown. “Please just promise me that you’ll try to be careful?”

Offering the beta one of his most genuine smiles, Tony allowed himself to be pulled into a hug with a murmured “only for you, J” before he was helped into one of the plumped, highly stylised chairs with the orders to ‘stay’ as Jarvis got up and unsteadily made his way out of the room with a promise of chicken soup and coffee on his lips. 

Then, a full belly and a quick nap later, the eighteen year old found himself leaving the ship to board the all-terrain vehicle he’d helped to design, his golden eyes flicking from his simpering mother and her glittering entourage to his father’s little glut of investors, their hungry, greedy bodies swarming around Howard like flies around shit. 

Heh, the thought made him grin momentarily before one of the many faceless, nameless body-guards ushered him to yet another seat with the blunt instruction to buckle his seat-belt as though _he_ hadn’t been the one who’d designed and spent twenty months of his life developing and generating the tank-like structure they were all sat in. 

In fact this whole trip, this _chance_ to finally have some independence, had been nothing but _’Tony do this’ or ‘Tony do that’ or ‘no Tony, you can’t’_ which was really starting to grate on his already frayed nerves. So what if he was an omega? So what if he was the son of the _almighty_ Howard Stark? He wasn’t some shrinking violet or precious gem, God damnit! He was an inventor, a thinker, someone who was going to plan for and help shape the future and _for fuck’s sake_ , it was the 1990’s not the 990’s! Why the hell were alphas and betas still so quick to pet and demean him? Hell! Even femmes still made a ridiculously sexist _’aww, aren’t you just the cutest thing?’_ styled comment here or there; the irony of this, of course, shouldn’t be lost on _anyone_ considering that it took two World Wars to make the _superior_ genders see that their female counter-parts were made for more than fucking and home-keeping.

It seemed as though it’d take another war or two before people thought of omegas the same way...

“Oh? Is that a frowny face I see?”

Well... so much for lightening the mood.

“Go fuck yourself Justin” he replied casually, his eyes still roving over the mountains of jagged ice that were currently being lashed by a particularly strong gale which was making the ice crystals skate and screech across the windows he’d custom made. 

“Now, now, is that anyway for a _bride_ to speak to his future husband?” the smarmy alpha asked as he poured himself into the lush seat across from the omega, his smirk predatory and unkind as he lounged and continued to sip at the champagne flute he held. 

“Oh _honey_ , you’d risk me marrying you, killing you in your sleep and living a life of drunken debauchery on your money whilst your company goes to the dogs? Wow... if that’s not love then I don’t know what is” he quipped glibly as he continued to observe the vast desert, his face almost as bland as his tone.

“Haha, such a kidder” the older of the pair tried to chuckle before leaning forward, his eyes sharpening. “Whatever will I have to do to keep that pretty mouth of yours in check, hmm?”

Snorting and rolling his eyes, Tony went to unbuckle his belt and leave before he caused what his mother (in her more coherent moments) would casually refer to as a _scene_ when the driver announced via the tannoy that everyone would need to take their seats. It looked as though they’d reached the crevasse where the giant, diamond tipped drill he’d slaved over for the better part of a year was going to begin its tunnelling.

So being stuck with Hammer’s _pleasant_ company for at least another forty minutes was all but inescapable and here he was, no Stark-Pad, no Stark-Pod and no Jarvis in sight...

 _Fan-fucking-tastic_.


	2. A Disturbance...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Enter Bucky ; )

He wasn’t sure what had alerted him to the disturbance but, half-way through his usual afternoon patrol, Bucky diverted from his normal course with an apology to Ka-Zar ringing from his throat across the tree-tops; something was calling to him from the great Northern walls which helped to ensconce his home. Something that he just couldn’t ignore...

And _that’s_ when he saw it, a plume of dust and rock spurting out well above the tree canopy he was traversing in order to reach the walls swiftly; narrowing his enhanced eyes, the warrior jerked to a stop upon a particularly sturdy tree-branch, his travel hardened feet barely feeling the impact as he watched, a growl rippling through his form. 

_”Outsiders”_ he breathed, the silver of his mutated hand curling into a fist. Was this Mr Sinister’s much fabled return? Or, perhaps, the men Ka-Zar claimed responsible for him having being brought to this place so many decades ago? 

Looking for mutates or the strange, several headed, monster-based insignia he’d found on the corpses littering what used to be the Savage Land’s only exit (a strange tunnel which, according to the tribe’s elders, used to house a metal snake that’d been brought here by Outsiders brandishing metal spears which shot out boiling metal and lightning), Bucky found that even _his_ eye-sight couldn’t pin down such fine details from this distance. 

Could it be that they had finally returned? That they realised they’d left behind not a corpse but an alpha in his prime and with time slow at his heels? Would they truly come back to the site of one of their greatest defeats after so many years?

Scowling, his hazy mind recalling flashing images of pain, screams and lab-tables so unlike those of Mr Sinister’s lab and yet so _bone chillingly_ similar, Bucky shook his head to clear the confusion and that haunting set of blue eyes framed by the devastated face from his thoughts. He’d need a clear mind to repel this threat and, quite possibly, the help from the Savage Landers should his worst fears come to pass; however, disturbing the tribe and worrying them without due cause (especially with mating season so close) wasn’t something that he would do. Therefore, his teeth set and his eyes locking onto target, Bucky resumed his trek with a renewed burst of speed, his other senses intertwining and enhancing on a whim as he tried to pinpoint anything of use whilst his legs propelled him through the jungle foliage. 

This was his home now and, by the Mists, he was going to protect it!


	3. A Mother and Son

“Oh darling... must you pout like that?” Maria Stark chided as she descended the steps which led the party of _explorers_ from the huge, mega-tank like structure he’d been so desperate to pilot (sadly, this was yet another desire he’d had quashed by a scowling, partially sober Howard who’d gestured less than subtly at the other alphas with an expression which clearly read ‘don’t fuck with the status quo and I won’t fuck with you’). 

“If the wind changes your expression will stick... and it’d be such a shame to ruin that lovely face of yours” she added whilst one of the body-guards helped her to traverse the final step; if she was in the least bit upset that her $1200 bespoke hiking boots were touching muck you’d be hard pressed to tell. However, the slight curling of her lips was all Tony needed to have his scowl morph into a smirk whilst he offered her his arm; keeping on her good side with a _charming_ photo here or there wouldn’t do him any harm. Especially since he’d need all the help he could get in terms of convincing Howard that Justin Hammer was _not_ his ideal son-in-law.

“Ah, you see, there’s my sweet boy” she cooed, her own face becoming radiant as they followed the alphas and betas to the small clearing where several of their workmen were creating a camp-site with the several, high-tech camping provisions they’d packed. “Hmm, you know Tony...” she continued whilst posing her face at the best angle for the photographer on the left. “I’m still quite mad at you for stowing away on this trip as you _know_ how much I can’t stand to share the spot-light... _but_ ” she purred whilst giving his arm a gentle squeeze. “I am glad that you’re here, darling... I feel as though we just haven’t had the time to chat since your graduation from MIT.” 

_‘That’s probably because you _never_ want to chat with me unless there’s a camera around to watch you do it’_ the eighteen year old thought whilst plastering on his _Hollywood_ smile.

“Yeah... it’ll be nice to spend some quality time together mom... maybe we can go on a walk together or something...”

“Walk? What? Are you kidding sweetie? Oh! Of course you are... let’s do margaritas when the tents are all up, hmm?”

Nodding his head, his smile losing a hint of its sparkle, Tony offered a “yeah, sure mom” before allowing her to drift away amidst her stylist, publicist and that _damned_ photographer; well... so much for that idea...

“Perhaps you and I could go for that walk, sir?” the calming voice of Jarvis soothed whilst the older man, his hand resting lightly upon the omega’s left shoulder, stood as close as society conventions would allow a beta in his line of work, his worry-weary face brightening with his young master’s. “It’ll be nice to march the chill from my bones” he added with a chuckle as they continued to follow the others to the area which a team of robots were steadily clearing of plants. “I suppose it’ll have to do until I can make us both a cup of tea, hmm?”

Laughing and allowing himself to be gently guided, both the omega and his dearest friend continued on their way, their senses completely dumb to the predator lurking in the canopy, its keen eyes trained on the younger male as a tongue whipped out to wet dry lips.


	4. A New Threat Emerges

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Minor violence/the threat of violence ahoy!**

Snarling at the incompetence of the workers Obadiah had personally vetted for this exploratory mission, Howard barely restrained his urge to kick at the beta who had dropped a crate of _expensively delicate_ equipment as yet another Advisor (more than likely his Media Consultant) briskly shook his head and pulled him to one side.

“Mr Stark...so help us all... you’re going to get yourself _sued_...”

“Cram it, Harris!” the inventor hissed back, his right hand snapping out to swab his sweating forehead with his handkerchief as he scowled from the mild-mannered alpha to the towering, humid jungle foliage which loomed and crowded them even as a team of twenty men worked to cut and clear it away. “It’s hotter than hell in this place! God-damnit! Why the fuck am I watching these slobbering imbeciles bumble around when my Chief Navigator promised me an area big enough for the camp site to be set up once the STV* had parked up on this ledge? And _what the hell_ was he thinking with this cockamamie route, huh? The drop off this ledge must be over one hundred feet; Jesus! I’m beginning to think that having my brat take the reins would have been a fucking better _and_ safer option...”

“Mr Stark, _please_ try to calm yourself down... Miss Maria’s little cronies may be D-list journalists _but_ they’re journalists none the less and that shutter-bug friend of hers has been watching this whole _tirade_ of yours” the insipid alpha sighed through a stage-whisper. “Please, just, oh... I don’t know... Ah! Jimmy? Jimmy! Has the meeting tent been set up yet? Great! Come on, sir, let’s go get you something to cool off with... another Tom Collins will see you right and help settle those genius-nerves of yours whilst the boys get the rest of site secured, hmm?”

His scowl lightening at the promise of his preferred cocktail, the innovator huffed out a sigh, his lips moving to approve of their new plan when, much to his shock and surprise, an alpha a few inches taller and a great deal broader than either himself or Harris (or his six-man security team, for that matter) landed before him with the grace of an Olympic gymnast.

“ **Holy shit!** ”

“What the hell?!”

“Howard!”

“Mr Stark!”

“Dad?!”

Grunting when his ass connected rather roughly with the vine, root and moss coated ground, Howard could only gape dumbly as the man, if it was _indeed_ a man, lifted Harris with ease and flung him onto the meeting tent’s newly erected roof as though he were dispatching a particularly irritating bug.

“Mr Stark! Remain still, sir! We’ll handle this!” Captain Johnson called out as the body-guards rushed to back him in a semi-circle, their pistols trained on the man who, despite being dressed in nothing but a few well-tailored animal-skins and a smirk, seemed completely at ease.

“You there! You speak? The **Doc’s notes say that the people ‘ere know English... so put yer hands up where we can see ‘em!”

“Heh... what a choice of words” the grey-skinned male snorted, his sightless eyes rolling as he jutted out his chin and nodded to the omega he could scent, his mutated psychic abilities allowing him to see the olive skinned creature as he stood behind a protectively positioned beta and a femme who was certainly lovely enough to be his mother. “That is a fine hen you have there... is he to be your offering in exchange for your lives, I wonder? Or, should I simply take him and slaughter you all anyway?” he added, his handsome face pulling into a sinister grin. “Heh... Lord Magneto certainly did not lie when he spoke of the outside world having such beautiful treasures to plunder...”

“Fire at will!” Howard interrupted as he rolled out of the way. “Jarvis! Get them back to the STV! Boys! Arm yourselves and get those fucking drones on-line!” he added, his tone caustic as the hired-guns began releasing their rounds and the betas rallied to un-create the various weapons Obadiah had scoffed at but Howard had insisted upon bringing. 

Sometimes, he hated it when he was right...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Subterranean Tunnelling Vehicle  
> **Nameless/faceless Hydra _doctor_ who documented the Savage Lands before the locals booted them out; his notes were discovered in a cache of information forwarded onto Howard by his friends in the U.S. Army.


	5. A Desperate Decision Made

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Minor violence/Violence/Threatening behaviour Ahoy!**
> 
> Things will only become Explicit from here on out guys; you have been warned!

Yelping when his butler all but picked him up, Tony stumbled alongside Maria as they staggered into a run with the snapping of bullets flying playing a terrifying back-drop to Jarvis’ orders to “keep looking ahead and don’t stop running!”

“What the hell is going on?!” the femme yowled whilst her entourage struggled to keep up with them. “Didn’t Obi say that there were no humanoid life-forms in this place?” she added, her dainty hands doing little to bat away the low-hung vines and gigantic leaves.

“ **Gaahhh!!** ”

“Dad!”

“You must keep moving Master Anthony!”

“Oh my God! Watch out!”

Crying out in a mixture of fear and disbelief, the smaller party of explorers stumbled to a halt when the grey-skinned man landed before them, his right hand holding a struggling, gasping Howard by the neck; at the sight of him, Maria screamed and Jarvis cursed whilst hurriedly stepping in front of his young charge, his own pistol raised.

“Release Mr Stark this instant!” he demanded as Maria’s groupies cowered behind him, their hands clutching at their camera equipment. “We have no quarrel with you...”

“Umm, oh yes? So you just _happened_ upon this world of ours? You and that hoard of equipment you’ve carted into the jungle have all been shipwrecked? Is _that_ your story?” the close to seven foot alpha purred mocking, his arm giving his quivering captive a less than gentle shake. “You Outlanders are all the same...” he continued before taking a menacing step forward, his fingers tightening their hold and causing Howard to grunt and Maria to wail at her entourage to “do something!”

“No! Wait! Please... you don’t understand” Tony tried to reason as the three betas and the alpha behind him muttered out curses and excuses. “We’re explorers! That’s all... we don’t mean you or your people any harm... we...”

“Yes, yes, I’m _sure_ ” the physically blind warrior interrupted, a strange smile crooking his lips: “now... are you willing to parlay for the life of this old drunk? Or should I simply dispatch him with the rest of the trash? From his scent, he is your sire, yes?” he crooned cruelly, his intimidating form stooping slightly to loom over them. “I offer his life, their _lives_ , for you... Omegas are rare across these jungles and adding such a fine specimen to our Tribe will make us all the stronger” he stated before, to everyone’s surprise, Maria _moved_.

“You swine!” she spat, her open palm striking across the alpha’s face; sadly, the back-hand the mutate served her did far more damage as she toppled to the floor, her bespoke suit ruined before she tumbled to a stop in the mud, her beautiful face already reddened. Snarling with rage, Howard tried to kick out as Jarvis opened fire, the fifty year olds eyes narrowing in shock as the bullets simply crumpled on impact; in that moment, his legs carrying him to his mother’s side whilst her _friends_ shrieked and scattered like sheep, Tony knew what he had to do.

“Stop! Stop please! Please don’t hurt them” he called, his arms holding his trembling mother as she desperately whispered for him to run.

“ _No... no... T-Tony... get... back to... the..._ ” Howard tried to choke out. 

“Oh... I don’t think that _Tony_ is going anywhere without my say so...” the muscular alpha purred. “Come here then, hen... and you, _beta_ , had best put that down before you hurt yourself” he warned whilst an increasingly more frustrated Jarvis scowled down at his ineffective weapon. 

“I’ll not let you have Master Anthony” he replied grimly. “As long as there’s breath in my...”

“Jarvis! _NO!!_ ”

Screaming out, the butler could do nothing as Howard’s limp body rocketed into him, the velocity behind his form taking the oldest of the group clean off his feet; the pair of them rolled heavily across the ground where Maria’s frightened companions had fled to and Tony watched, his teeth grating, as they squealed and ran further away. Those fucking cowards! And speaking of cowards, where the hell was Justin? The last time he’d seen that oily snake he’d been sniffing around the equipment crates just to the left of where Harris had been thrown...

“Ah... now that they’re out of the way, let’s get to know each other a little more, hmm?”

Scowling, his hold on his mother tightening, Tony looked up at the creature with a snarl singing from his throat.

“You’ll have to catch me first, creep” he spat before, with a quick kiss to his mother’s temple, the eighteen year old released her, spun and bolted into the lush greenery, his sneaker clad feet and years of excelling at track and field helping him to traverse the uneven, moss carpeted ground.

Then, scrubbing away a few stray tears, the omega tightened his resolve (“Stark men are made of _iron_ ”) and ran for all he was worth; the more distance he put between that barbaric alpha and his family, the better.


	6. Let the Hunt Begin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: umm... try chapter one : )

The sound of unfamiliar voices screaming did little to sooth Bucky’s fraying nerves as he neared the area where he’d first spotted the intrusion; perhaps the outsiders had happened upon a dinosaur, or maybe one of the carnivorous plants had snatched up and eaten a few of them...

“ _ **Tony!** Justin! Justin! Do something!_ ”

Blinking, the words luckily spoken in one of the three languages he could understand, the alpha narrowed his eyes and launched himself to where the femme’s distressed calls were breaking through the leafy canopy.

“Miss Maria, please put that down before you hurt yourself, you’re...”

“Don’t you fucking _dare_ tell me what to do you two-bit hack! How could you stand by and watch as that monster chased after my boy?! I _swear_ that I’m going to...”

“Hey! Everybody chill out! I think that old-guy’s still breathin’ over here...”

Scowling as the cacophony of voices grew louder and the jungle started to ebb thanks to the intruders meddling and clearing it away, Bucky took one final leap and flip before landing at the centre of the panicked outsiders, his right brow cocking when a group of roughed-up alphas and a wild-eyed femme turned their respective weaponry on him.

“Whoa there” he greeted, his arms raised in a gesture of surrender. “I am protector of these lands...” he added when two of the alphas cocked their weapons: “... and I have no interest in harming you if you decide to leave this place peacefully...”

“We’re not going _anywhere_ without Tony!” the femme snapped angrily, her beautiful face stained by a purpling bruise and running mascara. “Now you listen here, buddy” she continued, her trembling form approaching him with her pistol raised; “ _we_ only came here to see if my husband’s cockamamie satellites were working properly and take pictures and boost the ratings our Company’s new ventures since we left the weapons trade” she explained, her hand shaking. “We _did not_ come here looking for people or things or fights or... or monsters and now my Tony, my sweet little boy who... who just wanted to be with us and prove himself to his worthless, careless, _drunk_ of a father is... now he’s...”

“Mrs Stark, you need to contain yourself, ma’am... we don’ need to make matters worse” Captain Johnson interrupted from his position beside her cowardly camera-crew whilst a slightly wheezing Howard limped his way to his mate’s side, his ashen face scrutinising the loin-cloth wearing alpha, his eyes pulling in and out of focus as he tried to remain conscious. 

“Maria, Johnson’s right... just... just put the gun down...” he breathed whilst he tried his best to straighten, his eyes swinging from the Savage Land fighter to a still terrified looking Justin, his urge to smash the other’s porcelain veneers out of his face growing with each passing minute. “Look...” he rasped, his attention momentarily moving to the medic who was helping Jarvis to sit up against one of the thicker, sturdier trees that ringed the area they’d been clearing. “You want us out of here, that’s fine... but... but my son is being chased through your lands by a... a giant grey-skinned alpha who has killed two of my security force... injured seven more... of my crew and... and destroyed the equipment... we need to make it back safely...” he managed to huff out through his blackening throat. 

“And... I don’t care who you are... or who I have to... have to kill... I’m **not** leaving without my son... do you understand? I may not... look like much right now... but I am a powerful man and I will burn this whole... god-forsaken place to the ground...”

Snorting, his arms crossing (the metal of his mutation glinting in the ethereal light of the glacier which shielded them from the arctic storms raging outside) Bucky tilted his head to the right: “ _you’re_ threatening _me_?” he asked with a huff. “From where I’m standin’, I’d say that you’re in no position ta be arguin’ here” he said sternly, his blue eyes narrowing before, with a sigh, he levelled the couple with a look a little more emphatic. “You said that a grey-giant chased after your kid an’ did all this damage? Well... I’m sorry to tell you, folks, but if your son is bein’ hunted by Gaza, then he’s probably already dead and Gaza’ll probably come back here to finish what he’s started once he’s had his fun... The Mutates are sadistic like that” he announced, his words causing the femme to cry out, her knees buckling.

“It’s best that you take what you got and get outta here... his pack are ruthless and will do anythin’ to get their hands on new tech” he added grimly before, the woman’s sobs effecting him more than what they should, he flicked a glance to the ruined boxes and injured people. “Look, I’ll help you to salvage what you can of your provisions but...”

“No! _No!_ We’re not leaving without my Tony!” the mother yowled from her place upon the moss laden floor. “You don’t understand... my boy’s an omega and that, that awful _creature_ intends to...” she sobbed, her pistol long forgotten as she cupped her face with spoilt gloves and tried to control her breathing. 

“An omega” Bucky baulked; “who in their right mind brings an omega to the middle of nowhere for no good reason, huh? You tellin’ me this kid of yours is mating age?”

“He’s eighteen and on suppressants...” Howard answered, his right hand gripping his wife’s shoulder whilst the rest of his crew looked on: “that snivelling piece of garbage over there was going to propose to him when we got home” he added with a snarl as Justin gaped at him, the be-speckled alpha rapidly gesturing with his hands in a clear display of outrage.

“H-hey! Now don’t go blaming anything on me, _Stark_! I didn’t ask for any of this... in fact, if I recall, I was one of the first to say that the plane should be turned around the second your hired-help found him hiding out in that crate he’d modified!” he spat. “That mutant or mutate or _whatever_ the fuck it was, was seven feet tall and able to wipe out Johnson’s team with a swing of his arms regardless of our guns and their training! What the fuck did you expect me to do, huh? I...”

“You’re fucking worthless! You could have...”

“Be quiet!” Bucky cut in, his glare thunderous; “which way did they go?” he added with a snap, his stance straightening. “Mating seasons is mere days away and, regardless of any drugs or pills, that kid of yours will go into heat, your femme will too” he stated, his mouth forming a displeased snarl. “If Gaza catches him and takes him back to their pack-den there’s no telling what Brain-Child might do... God, if they harvest his eggs* then they could have an army within a year” he spat before, with a grunt, he leapt back up and into the canopy. Then, with a mighty roar that sent many of the winged beasts nearby tumbling into the air, the alpha waited for the answering call before returning to the stupefied intruders.

“What the hell...”

“Listen carefully ‘cus I ain’t got time to repeat myself” the long-haired warrior interrupted. “I’m going to get your son and bring him back if I can, but tha’s not a guarantee” he said gruffly as more whoops and calls echoed behind him. “I’ve sent for my pack, they’ll help to get you back on your transport or whatever the hell that thing is an’, if I ain’t back by this time t’marra, they’ll ensure that you get on your way or get buried in the ground” he huffed, his arms swaying and stretching as he prepared to launch once more.

“Wait! Please... let us help you... there must be something we can...”

“Look lady, the best thing that you can do is get your wounded somewhere safe and be ready to go; I ain’t makin’ you no promises here, but I don’t want Gaza having that hen anymore than you do” he clarified. “Now, when Ka-Zar gets here, you tell ‘im that Bucky’s told you to stay put ‘til he gets back...”

“Bucky? B-but... no, no you couldn’t be... you’re not...”

“Jus’ don’t forget what I said, alright? The last thing you guys need is my leader becoming angry” the blue eyed alpha said, his nose scenting the air.

Let the hunt begin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Okay, so, in this AU omega’s only give birth to alphas and, since they don’t breast-feed, those alphas are born being able to eat more complex food straight of the bat and, therefore, mature/become stronger faster. This, of course, would make them prized by the military. Also, for those of you who don’t know, Brain-Child was the first of Magneto’s mutates and became Mr Sinister’s right-hand man; he’s ridiculously intelligent and rules the Mutates in Sinister’s absence. His intellect has enabled him to carry on the evil geneticists works and he is responsible for creating a few of the Mutates and their battle-steeds.


	7. Hindsight is a Bitch...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: it's around here... somewhere...
> 
> Okay, I know that I write these terrible, not-funny quips about the placement of my disclaimer but _seriously_ , I haven't updated this fic since September...
> 
> Whoa...
> 
> -_-;;

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Warning!**
> 
> Threats of Non-Con ahoy!

Cursing, his jaunts through the concrete jungle of New York doing very little to aid him within the _real_ thing, Tony tried his best not to yelp and yowl as he (increasingly ungracefully) pushed his way through giant leaves, narrowly avoided stomping on hissing reptiles and smacked at mosquitoes the size of tennis balls.

He was lost, he was panicking, he was blinded by the sight of his mother’s reddened face, his father’s purpled lips and Jarvis’ prone body crumpled against the curdled floor.

How the hell was he going to get them all out of this mess?

“Your fear is a sweet perfume to track, little hen!”

 _Fuck_ , how was _he_ going to get _himself_ out of this mess?

“How much longer can those pretty legs of yours keep running? I think you’ll be much more comfortable with them splayed across my shoulders!” 

Shuddering, the fabric of his jacket tearing against the vicious spikes of the engorged shrub he’d scurried under, Tony backed and burrowed his way under the vivid, purple vines as he tried his best not to pant too loud; the last shout of his pursuer had been far too close for comfort and, in his current state, continuing to run would have seen him caught within five minutes. 

Not that he supposed this hiding place would last for too long; he just had to hope that, instead of his usual run of luck, this strange, new, savage land would grant him some form of respite. 

The giant of man skidded to a stop before his thorny hiding place.

“There you are...”

So much for _that_ last shred of hope...

“Silly hen, if my advanced senses could not _see_ you trembling under there then my sense of smell and hearing would have alerted me to your delicious presence, anyway” the partially hidden male taunted as he stood before the claw-clustered brush, his face tilted towards Tony’s location as sightless eyes roved wildly across the vegetation.

“Look... this is all just some big, messed up misunderstanding, alright?” the omega tried to reason; “you don’t want me for a mate... I’m scrawny, and loud-mouthed and really, really belligerent” he continued whilst edging further back, the razor sharpness of the thorns effortlessly slicing through his jeans and freeing blood from his skin. “You’d be sick of me within a day, two tops... and you seem like, you know, a really strapping guy... I’m sure that there’re lots of femmes and omegas just crazy about you... _ohmygod!_ ” he yelped, his eyes widening dramatically as, with a strength beyond human, the grey-skinned alpha started to pull and tear the vines apart.

“Ah! Hey! Stop!” he tried to yell, the branches being torn away jostling against him, his body unable to crawl away fast enough as his deadly haven became thread-bare enough for one large, calloused hand to start reaching out to snatch at him. “No! Get away from me! Let me go, let me go, let me go!” he yowled, his squeals going unheard (his left arm already snagged) until a howl that sounded too human to be an animal and yet too animal to be human, rang throughout the jungle air amidst the screeches and panic flapped wings of birds.

Blinking when he was promptly yanked out, up, and over one of the intimidatingly large shoulders, Tony’s genius brain struggled to cope with the speed with which they were suddenly moving, a snarled “ _Bucky_ ” leaving his captor’s lips whilst he ploughed through the fauna with little effort.

“Put me the fuck down! Do you hear me?! You overgrown bastard! I am _not_ sleeping with you!” he managed to snap, his body trying to wriggle and squirm out of the steel-like grip the muscle swollen arm of the alpha had locked him into. “Ugh! You son of a bitch! If I manage to get my hands on _anything_ even remotely technological then I’m going to make you _real_ sorry!” he added, his balled fists (ineffectively) slamming against the other’s ridiculous toned back.

“Unless you want to lose that tongue of yours, I suggest that you keep your mouth shut” came the ground out response as the alpha vaulted from massive, raised tree-root to mossy boulder, to lush grass, his leather booted feet never missing a step.

“Oh yeah? Not that I don’t believe you would but, from the way you’re moving, I think that you have bigger problems” the insightful youth commented glibly, his eyes turning up to look at the canopy and general greenery they were traversing through, his mind scrounging a plan together.

“Oh my God! Who the hell is that guy!?” he suddenly called, his right arm lifting to point in the distance, a smirk tilting his lips when the alpha skidded to a halt, his body spinning around.

“Where?!” he demanded angrily, his neck craning in all directions as whatever _powers_ he had scanned the area.

“He was up there! Yeah! A little smaller than you but he has a similar outfit, you know, Tarzan-chic?” the omega confirmed. “Put me down and I’ll show you... you can tell where I’m pointing, right?”

Grunting (Tony couldn’t _believe_ that the oldest trick in the book was _actually_ working) the hulking creature did as instructed; “show me, where did... _woooppphhhh_!!”

Grinning madly (a silent prayer of thanks drifting its way to Jarvis; the poor butler had had to endure hours of temper-tantrums and pouty expressions during their sparing sessions and self-defence classes), the omega relished the stronger man’s pained gasp after delivering a swift, **firm** kick to his unprotected groin.

“Ha! Serves you right!” he called triumphantly from over his shoulder, his torn sneakers already speeding him back the way they’d come, his arms and hands working frantically to help him assail the boulder formation they’d recently _flown_ down. “And if you know what’s good for you you’ll stay down, numb-nuts!” he added, his eyes quickly flitting back to alpha as he struggled to stand, his whole frame trembling from the hurt...

“I will snap your legs and fuck you until you _bleed_!!” 

Nope, he was trembling with rage...

“Your body will be knotted and bred without reprieve!”

 _Definitely_ rage...

“You’ll be given **no** mercy!”

‘So this is the infamous Stark luck, at its best, huh?’ Tony thought numbly as the white-noise bouncing in his ear cranked all the way to eleven.

‘Run you stupid bastard! Run because your _life_ depends on it’ his inner monologue finally shrieked whilst his hind-brain sounded the alarm which prompted all four of his limbs to re-double their efforts.

Why couldn’t he have just listened to Jarvis (for once) and stayed at home?


	8. A First Meeting That Could Have been Smoother...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: it's somewhere near the front ; )

An _inhuman_ howl tore through the jungle, its presence setting off several flocks of birds and yowling apes as Bucky lunged his way across the vine choked canopy; it appeared that Raza was having some trouble. His lips quirked into a smirk at the thought; perhaps the omega he’d been tracking was more capable than he’d first thought... 

“Heeellllpppp!”

Or, maybe not...

“Heeeellllpppp!”

Who in the world was foolish enough to draw attention to themselves within a dense jungle full of predators?

“ ** _Get back here you little bitch!_** ”

Feeling an angry growl ripple up and out of his throat, Bucky swung from his vine, flipped in mid-air and landed upon a particularly thick bough amongst the sprawling canopy to examine the chase sprinting towards him, his azure eyes narrowing as the spry omega pelted through the terrain, his arms flailing and clothes torn.

“Leave me the hell alone! This is child-endangerment! This is _fucking_ harassment!” the young-man hollered, his voice not overly tired regardless of the pace he was setting; “you come near me again an’ I’ll... I’ll do _so much worse_ than kicking you... you in the balls!”

Feeling his lips pull into a grin (the kid had moxie, there was no doubt about that), Bucky felt a strange sense of pride bubble up in his chest; not many of the alpha warriors that made up his tribe had the nerve to face-off against Raza in battle, let alone mouth-off to him.

“ **By the time I’m through with you, you’ll never walk, let alone _kick_ again!** ”

“I... I highly doubt it!” the boy returned whilst Bucky turned to watch the young man (an attractive one at that; he was the perfect combination of his father’s intelligent eyes and his mother’s beautiful features; Steve would have _loved_ to sketch him...). “A-after that-t kick... you ain’t... going to be doing much to me... _big boy_!”

Unable to keep his chuckle concealed, the brunette alpha allowed a rare, full smile to breach his lips before, with a battle cry that would keep any meat-eaters nearby away from the immediate area (and hopefully the delicious little creature who was currently being gained on), Bucky descended to land atop the startled mutate’s shoulders, effectively knocking him to the moss-strewn floor.

“ _You!_ ”

“Chasing defenceless hens around before season, Raza? Heh, didn’ tha’ master o‘yours ever teach you any manners?” he asked whilst somersaulting backwards to land in a battle-ready crouch; “I’m kind’a surprised at you, actually, isn’t this cowardly shit more of Brain-Child’s territory?”

Grunting, his shoulders rolling as he swiped blood away from his split lip, the hulking, grey skinned product of Mr Sinister’s evolutionary schemes huffed out a puff of hot air before allowing his own smile to form.

“This is a most fortuitous day” he announced, his fists clenching inside the familiar warmth of brown, suede gloves; “not only will I get to breed and discipline that pretty piece of tail but I’ll be able to _vanquish_ **you** as well” he added whilst ominously cracking his neck.

“Tough talk for’a guy who couldn’ handle a hen” was the metal-armed warrior’s retort, his chin jutting out confidently; “let’s see what you got, _big boy_.”

Roaring, his telekinetic abilities warping the trees in his wrath, Raza sprung forward, his braid whipping behind him like a snake as Bucky met him blow for blow, their fists smacking and cracking the air with the ferocity of the strikes.

Watching on from behind a particularly thick mahogany, his form mostly shielded from the intense blasts of power slicing through the air like something out of a comic book, Tony felt his jaw hang open as the loin-cloth wearing alphas pelted each other with attacks that would fell even Captain Johnson. He’d never seen a fight quite like it; the flashing fangs, hunched muscles, wild eyes and feral snarls were closer to what you’d see in a nature documentary than a boxing match.

He _really_ should get the hell out of here... and yet...

“I’ll snap off that arm of yours and mount in my room as a trophy!”

“Hah! S’funny! I was thinking the same about your head, pal!”

Something in his gut was compelling him to stay, demanding that he watch, that he _be there_ to congratulate the winner; it was one of those squirmy, _biological_ feelings that he’d always tried his damndest to ignore regardless of how often his mother and Jarvis had promised him that it was okay...

 _’Holy shit!’_ he mentally baulked, his head snapping away from the fight and back to the jungle; how could he have forgotten about his mother and Jarvis? He needed to get back to the camp, he had to make sure that they were alright...

“Take dat, you bastard!”

But now, the adrenaline having worn off and his path lost to acres and acres of wild, tangled vegetation that all looked the same, Tony found his higher brain functions quashing any foolish ideas of just blindly rushing into the brush...

“Damn you Bucky! I’ll see you on your way to hell for this!”

_’Bucky?’_

“You first! You son’ova bitch!”

Then, the metal of his arm gleaming with a supernatural sheen, the olive skinned alpha lunged forward, a roar full of primal fury ringing from his throat before he brought his fist to land against Raza’s temple, a sickening _crunch_ following in his wake.

“Whoa...” the omega whispered, his amber gaze watching as the grey-skinned fiend hit the earth with a resounding thud, his form unconscious but still breathing, just _barely_...

“You alright, ‘mega?”

Blinking, his mouth unable to conceal the squeak that jolted out of him, Tony cycled his gaze up from the prone body of his attacker to the triumphant (albeit a little bloody and bruised) man who may (or may not) have come to his rescue. 

“Uhh... yeah, I, uh... thanks for, you know, stepping in there” he said, his usual suave and charm lost to the strikingly handsome features of Tarzan’s buffer, more attractive brother. “I’m, a, ugh... hi, I’m Tony Stark” he bumbled, his body still nestled behind the tree as the alpha flicked and swiped blood and sweat off of his (glistening? Yes, it wasn’t too Jackie Collin’s to say) chest, abs and (ruggedly handsome, with just the right amount of stubble and charcoal accenting his smoky cobalt eyes) face. 

“Bucky” the other grunted whilst cracking his neck and rolling his shoulders; “heh, Stark you say? That name sounds kind’a familiar” he added before pointing behind the young man, his smile briefly returning. “Your folks’ll be glad to see you’re alright... s’not many people meet with Raza and live to tell about it” he added, his eyes roving over what little of the young man he could see this close up. “You’re pretty tough, for a hen...”

“Wow? Really?” Tony dead-panned, the glitter around his saviour dimming in his ire; “well, you’re pretty well-spoken for an alpha from the _sticks_ ” he continued glibly before stepping out from behind his moss-scattered shield. “Look here, buddy, I’m grateful for the help and everything, but don’t get mistaking me for a damsel in distress or anything” he ordered, his arms crossing defiantly across his chest. “Now, if you'd be _so kind_ as to point me in the right direction, I’ll be making my way back to my camp-site, if it’s all the same to you” he finished with a snip, his right foot tapping the ground impatiently.

Blinking (and somehow resisting the urge to whistle; he’d _always_ liked ‘em feisty) Bucky felt a genuinely pleased, _startled_ laugh rumble its way out of him whilst, as instructed, he pointed to the north-east, his head-shaking in disbelief.

“Lead the way, ya _highness_ ” he instructed, his laugh doubling in volume when the omega huffed, stuck his nose in the air and began marching in the direction shown; “lead the way...”


	9. Breaking Expectations...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: see, somewhere near the front?
> 
> Sorry for the delay guys! Work has been pretty manic lately!

“Ya might not want to step on that...”

So, their trek through the jungle had been _interesting_...

“I, ah, I wouldn’t grab that vine either... not unless you want a rash that’ll crawl up an' out’ya ass...”

Grumbling equations under his breath (a coping mechanism he’d developed to deal with the stress of his father’s expectations, his mother’s drinking and the alpha-based world he was stuck in), Tony glared at every shrub, each mossy limb and very patch of dirt his ruined sneakers managed to avoid.

“Heh, you always dis’ talkative, or is it just me?”

Huffing, his head snapping to the side so that he could glare at the alpha doggedly trudging behind him, Tony offered him a thoroughly unimpressed look: “let me guess, I’m _quiet_ for an omega, right?” he snipped before returning to glare into the (quite frankly) never ending jungle.

Shit, had he really run this far?

Laughing through a snort, his bare, muscle corded legs skipping him to stroll beside the scowling teen, Bucky found himself glancing at the cute (soon to be full-blown handsome if those cheek bones and that jaw-line were anything to go by) features and wondering if those lips (angry though they were) felt as good as they looked.

‘ _Bad Bucky, **bad**_ ’ he mentally chided, his arms quickly lacing together behind his back to ensure that they didn’t stray; he was on a _rescue_ mission, after all and, as gorgeous as he was, this omega was only _just_ mating age. He’d want to live a life and have a boyfriend or two before settling down...

“Hey! What? Is there an enemy close by or something?”

Blinking out of his thoughts, the alpha stopped and regarded the younger man with a quirked brow; “what?”

“You were growling” the olive skinned man said, his expression spooked as he warily regarded the towering trees, rustling branches and swaying grasses as though tigers lurked around every corner; “you _dropped_ that guy, so it can’t be him... shit, it’s not a bear or a... a _fucking_ dinosaur, is it?” he asked, his feet shuffling a little closer to the older man.

Sensing an opportunity, his hind-brain quickly overruling the squeal of his common sense ( _shit, he’d been _growling_ at the thought of this beautiful stranger he was escorting having boyfriends, what a clichéd, _alpha_ thing to do!_ ), Bucky edged a little closer too.

“I’m not quite sure” he expertly lied, his face fighting the deviously pleased smirk that wanted to reveal itself and betray him. “But whatever it is... it sounds big and _hungry_ ” he warned, his metallic arm gesturing to the nearest, vine laced tree. “I think it might be safer and probably faster to travel through the canopy if, you know, you don’t mind holdin’ on ta me” he said before, for full effect, snapping his head back to the brush as a (perfectly camouflaged) giant (and harmless) monitor-lizard ambled on its way. 

Gasping, his body virtually teleporting to hide behind broad shoulders, the omega (once more completely blowing his expectations out of the water) didn’t cower, tremble or squeak but, with a strength that was refreshingly surprising, instead started manically pushing him towards the tree. 

“Yeah, sure, fine... let’s go, let’s go, let’s go already!” he demanded a little feverishly, his arms swiftly looping around the alpha’s neck before kicking up so that his legs could do the same around the other’s waist; “I am _not_ going to die here, do you hear me? And I am most **certainly _not_** being eaten alive, okay? Playing Resident Evil is one thing but being ripped apart by monsters will **never** be on my to-do-list, alright?!” he snapped. “Now come on, Superman’s Neanderthal Cousin, we need to be up those vines and onto those branches _pronto_!” he directed, his right hand reaching down to quickly smack the alpha’s flank, causing him to yelp.

“ _Hey!_ ”

“Less complaining and more climbing monkey-man!” the younger spat, his arm raising again; “now mush!” he ordered, another blow hitting its mark and prompting the startled alpha to snag a vine and begin hoisting them skywards, his face awash with disbelief and a (giddy) sort of shock.

“Are all ‘megas like you where you come from?” he asked, his tone a strange mix of dazed and pleased.

“Nope, sorry, when they made me they broke the mould and threw the remains in the furnace” the younger replied, his neck craning this way and that to observe and take in the new environment he was entering; “wow! This is awesome, look at how high we are! Way to go Tarzan” he applauded, his keen, golden eyes switching from jewelled beetles to luminous fungus to a curious group of grooming monkeys.

“Hey, finally a reference I get” Bucky sighed, the younger man’s fidgeting almost causing him to lose his footing on the liken softened bark; “ah! Look, Tony, I get that ya sight seein’ an all, but could you just...”

“No complaining from _you_ , mister” the omega cut-in, his face now right next to the (suddenly blushing) alpha’s ear; “s’funny but, as we’ve been going up in the world, I’m struggling to see the _huge_ and _terrifying_ beasts you claimed were surrounding us” he said, his lips quirking into a pleased grin when the other nearly choked on an embarrassed cough.

‘ _Busted_ ’ the omega crowed, his observation of the thinning canopy on-going; “but I’m _sure_ that you don’t have any kind of ulterior motives for bringing me up here, right?” he continued blithely, his legs giving the older man’s middle a squeeze that made him _yip_ and wheeze.

“Wah?! Do ya _want_ me ta fall?” the alpha growled; “seriously kid, we’re thirty feet off of the ground here if ya hadn’t noticed!”

“Fall? A pro like you?” Tony murmured, his face closer still; “you’re not going to... uhh, what’s that noise... _OhmyGodwe’refuckingfalling!!_ ”

Screaming in terror, their vine having decided that it didn’t _want_ to hug its tree anymore, Tony clutched onto the momentarily stunned alpha and buried his face into a broad (surprisingly comfortable) shoulder, his eyes screwing shut as they plummeted.

“ _Justin Hammer! You’re a simpering piece of shit and I’ll see you in hell!!_ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From the rapidly diminishing encampment he was _supervising_ the dismantling of, a certain short, be-speckled alpha sneezed rather violently into the StarkPad he was using, his eyes narrowing even as a worry-stricken Maria approached and thwacked him across the head for _slacking_...


	10. Time is Relative...

Snapping out of his shock with only a handful of seconds to spare, Bucky was reaching out, grabbing and securing another vine before the ground could rush up to meet them, his teeth bared even as experienced muscles tensed and their downward momentum curved rapidly upwards.

“Hold on!” he yelled, his eyes looking for and finding a viable ledge; “I’m going to let go...”

“ _You’re going to **what**?! Are you **insane**_?!”

“... an’ I need you ta keep calm, we’re goin’ in three, two...”

“ _If we survive this then I am going to **kill** you!!_ ”

“One!”

Huffing when the vice-like grip about his neck and torso _somehow_ tightened, the alpha released the vine, flipped and landed (with only a light stumble that was completely to blame on his fidgeting charge) upon the sturdy bough with a grunt and an increasingly startled expression when small (yet freakishly strong) fists smacked the back of his head.

“ _Ow-w! Hey! Quit dat!_ ” he growled even as the omega gave him one last cuff before dismounting; “you tryin’ to knock me off’a here?”

“You’re lucky that I’m not or you’d already have hit the dirt, dude” the younger male grumbled whilst patting down his clothing, his sour expression unflinching in the face of Bucky’s hanging jaw and disbelief.

“I jus’ saved our lives and _dis_ is the thanks I get?”

“Umm, actually, _you’re_ the reason we were climbing up here in the first place, so don’t try playing the _wounded hero_ card, okay?” the slight creature snipped, his arms folding as they had done earlier. “Sure, the vine snapping was an accident and yeah, I might be a little _impressed_ by all of that fancy gymnastics, alright? But don’t think that this means anything or that I _like_ you and your ridiculously handsome face, capiche?”

Blinking, the angry words he’d felt building dying in his throat when the other’s comments sank past his incredulous disbelief, Bucky felt his shoulders relax, his stance becoming a little taller whilst a smile touched his lips.

“You think I’m _ridiculously handsome_ , huh?”

“Eh? _No_ , I didn’t say...”

“Oh I _beg_ ta differ, princess” the alpha chuckled, his own arms crossing when the younger man began to blush; “Not only am I _handsome_ but you _like_ me too” he virtually crowed, his smile all the smugger for the adorable huff and foot stamping his comments provided.

“Nuh-uh! I never... ugh! This _always_ happens when I’m freaked out! I can’t control my mouth! Uh! Okay, I’m back, I’m okay, everything is _fine_ ” he sighed out before, with a determined expression, he began marching past the grinning alpha, his sneakers stomping the verdant moss as he went. “Now which way are we heading?”

Chuckling and relaxing once more, his fondness for the young man continuing to grow, Bucky gestured to another batch of vines; “how you feel about takin’ da scenic route?”

Blinking, his embarrassment dying away in the wake of a childhood dream about to come true, Tony grinned brightly at the foliage and (instead of arguing because ‘ _gah! He was going to _be_ Tarzan_ ’) eagerly accepted the natural rope offered him, his hands giving it a sharp, experimental tug.

“You sure that we aren’t going to have a repeat performance of our near death experience?” he asked, his scepticism being quickly overridden by the five year old boy in the back in his mind screaming at him to just do it already.

“Nah, these guys are strong enough with only one passenga each” the alpha promised, his metallic arm really tugging at his chosen transport; “not that ya fat or nothin’, but...”

“Why you... _Whoa! You **asshole!!**_ Get back here!! Don’t think that I’ll let you get away with that!”

Whooping through his laughter, Bucky watched as the omega leapt onto his own vine and, true to his words, began to chase him through the canopy, his (deceptively) strong hands gripping onto another organic cord with an ease which was breath-taking to watch as they all but glided through the greenery.

“Wow kid, you’re a natural!” he complimented whilst narrowly avoiding the reaching hand of the younger man.

“I’m _not_ a kid you sexist jerk!” was the response whilst the omega playfully tried to kick at him, his tone more jovial than displeased; “and I’m not fat either... hell, if anything broke that vine earlier it was you and your _giant_ ego” he quipped, his smile making a reappearance as they swung together.

“Hahaha, yeah, whatever ya say, princess” the older chuckled out, his free hand pointing to another thick bough to their right; “we should be able ta see ya camp from there.”

“Really? Awesome! God, I hope that J and mom are alright” the shorter called out, his slender body arching with the dexterity of a gymnast (not that Bucky was looking or anything) to help him slink his way towards the branch, his feet planting (almost gracefully) onto the roughened dark, his presence disturbing a brood of lizards who hissed at him before scarpering. 

“Heh... not bad” the alpha commended, his taller body landing next to him (far more expertly than earlier), his metallic arm pointing to the clearing a few miles above them, the deconstructed tents and the drill hole they’d made upon entering the Savage Land’s visible thanks to the trees Howard’s wrecking crew had downed that morning.

“Jesus... look at what a mess we’ve made” Tony sighed, his smile dimming a little before he gave Bucky a side-glance; “shit... for what it’s worth, I’m really sorry for, you know, barging into your way of life and causing problems... My dad he, well, let’s just say that he’s a self-entitled son of bitch who saw dollar signs when our tech picked up this place and _not_ a habitat we could end up wrecking” he said through a scowl, his eyes narrowed. “And from what I know about that Raza guy, I’d say that you and your friends already have enough to deal with, huh?”

“Yeah, s’pose that’s true but, ah, it’s not all bad... I couldn’ta met you if you’d never come here now could I?” the older admitted with a little shrug, his words causing the other to snort; “an’ hell, s’not like all of the people who’ve settled here over the centuries didn’t come from someplace else, either... take me, for example, a‘cordin to Ka-Zar, I _fell from the sky_ fifty years ago” he added thoughtfully. “An’ don’t get me started about those damned extra-terrestrials... just showin’ up whenever they please... damn, they’re _almost_ worse than Mr Sinister and Magneto...”

“Wait... _wait, wait, wait a damned minute_ ” Tony cut in whilst sharply turning to observe his rescuer. “Are you telling me that two of the world’s most wanted and _dangerous_ terrorists have been hiding out here _with_ aliens?”

“Erm... huh... now, I don’t _think_ that the Nuwali (“the aliens?”), yeah, I’m not sure if Sinister ‘as ever interacted with them in, you know, _real-time_ but he **has** mastered a lot of their tech over the years... or, at least, he knew enough to strengthen the Mutates who were made by Magneto in some weird pods, or somethin’, back in the sixties... Oh, an’ he knows enough to have given me this” he continued, his metal arm waving at the astonished omega.

“Huh... well that’s...” the younger struggled, his hands gesticulating wildly.

“Pretty wild, eh?"

“Yeah, you could say that” Tony eventually settled for, a touch of nervous laughter peppering his tone before he nodded to the clearing. “So, umm, shall we?”

“Heh, after you, princess...”

“You know, I’m getting _real_ tired of that nick-name, _grandpa_...”

“ _Gwah-G-grandpa?!_ ”

“Ooo... have I struck a nerve?” the omega preened, his smile positively shit-eating whilst the alpha gawked at him in disbelief, an embarrassed blush staining his face as he pointed angrily at the shorter man.

“I am _not_ an old man!”

“Hmm, okay, whatever you say... _grandpa_! Yaa-hoooo!”

“Get back here you little brat!”


End file.
